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The IBM iDataPlex Line Is Lean and Green

Steve has more than 30 years of journalism and publishing experience, most of the last 20 of which were spent covering technology.

Today’s budget-strapped IT departments look to save money at every turn.

The iDataPlex line of servers and racking system from IBM is one way IT shops can accom­plish their lean and green goals. The units measure 2 feet by 2 feet, as ­opposed to a traditional server, which is typically 2 feet by 4 feet. This shorter depth lets IT managers pack more servers into a rack, adding density that helps data centers more easily reach their full capacity.

The other benefit of the shorter depth is that air needs to travel only 18 inches from front to back, rather than the 30-plus inches in a typical enterprise server. This reduces needed cooling, which allows IT managers to set the data center’s temperature at 72 degrees Fahrenheit, as opposed to 55 to 65 degrees. Couple this with the iDataPlex’s energy-efficient design, which integrates four fans into the chassis, and IBM says IT shops stand to save thousands of dollars on their annual electric bills.

Matthew Ziegler, a senior high-performance computing architect at IBM, says the company estimates that IT departments can save 17 to 24 percent on power compared with traditional 1U rack-mounted servers.

Moving forward, Ziegler says the next generation of iDataPlex servers set for release this spring will feature water cooling. “Water removes heat more efficiently,” he says. “It’s the same principle as a radiator in a car. We’re slowly weaning off the fans.”

By the Numbers

240V

The highest and most efficient voltage for operating IT equipment in the data center